MARK - My Words (24)

 

Jesus was lead out of the city carrying the gibbet he was to be strung up on.  But it was too heavy to carry, so the soldiers commandeered a passing foreigner called Simon to do this job. (Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who you might know). 

Simon dragged the gibbet up to the rocky outcrop called ‘The Skull’.  The soldiers pinned Jesus body to a gibbet and propped it up so all could see.  Pilate insisted that a multilingual sign be put above Jesus head saying ‘King of the Jews’ The passers-by mocked and spat at Jesus. “You claimed you could save others, but you seem to have forgotten about yourself” they jeered.  The Jewish leaders scoffed saying, The creator’s chosen one?  Fat chance of that now.  You’re completely useless.”

At mid-day darkness fell across the planet.  It lasted until 3.00 pm.  Then Jesus called out “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabchthani?” Which translates as “Creator, why must you abandon me?”

Some people thought he was calling out to Elijah.  “He’s going mad”, some said.  “Wait, perhaps Elijah is coming to save him” said others.  The next cry was Jesus’ last, and the curtain in the temple ripped dramatically from top to bottom. 

A Roman officer who was there looked on in astonishment. “This man was ‘a god’," he exclaimed.

Some of Jesus’ friends were there, watching from a distance.  These were Mary of Magdalene, Mary (mother of James and Joseph) and Salome.  There were many other women there also who loved Jesus.

Jesus' death was to have cleared a problem out of the way.  Things could return to normal.  The Status Quo would be restored, the agitation returned to those in power, not the poor. 

The Roman's did not care who Simon was.  We don't know what he felt being forced by the occupying power to carry a gibbet up an ugly hill.  

This was no straightforward death however.  Weird things occurred.  Even the outsiders could sense that something significant had happened.

Jesus female friends were there.  They were distant from the mood of glee associated with the fall of a moral personality.  (He had it coming.)

These women stayed constant, and end the story for us tomorrow.